The evening world., 1887-12-02
Ionic, the Pride of the Mill;
OR. THE
Daughter Of a knight Of Labor.
A THRILLING LOVE STORY.
CHAPTER l.
To love and be beloved
Is the one grand dream OF q maiden's life.

1t was on the 10th Of January, and intensely cold
in New York City. ] am particular as to the date,
ened q beautiful young girls HE.
On this bitter cold morning, nurrying along with
Lawrence, a young girl, who, despite her shabby
attire, was rarely beautiful.
Sne was not more than seventeen, but she had
the grace Of a dainty young princess, though she
was but a working girl-the daughter OLA knight
Ionic had been the pride and darling Of her
fathers heart. Six months before our story opens
he had pass d away, Joining the wife of his youth.
who had been dead several years, leaving two
o his death-bed he had called Barbara, his
eldest daughter, to his bedside, and drawing her
face down to his own, he whispered:
You are Internationally Barbara, and Ionic
is but seventeen. Ileaye her to your care. You
young. She will be more beautiful than 1t seldom
falls to the lot OF women to be, and great beauty In
a blessing or a curse. i could not rest in my grave
4 harm befell her. Guard our treasure well,
Barbara"
~ will, father, t" said the weeping girl. lyon
may safely leave lone to me-"
Barbara had kept her promise well. She had
taken up the thread Of lie when her father mad
but Iouie was kept az school
Then q sudden change came. barbara was
ION, my d~arlingl' Barbara moaned, what
shall we do now7 IL dare not look the future In
the face. the money we have laid w will soon be
do not fear, dear, cried beautiful, brave
Ionic. I'VE shall not starve. I can take your
At first Barbara demurred; but there was no help
for 1t. So, on this e%ventful morning thu our story
op ms, Barbara had Kissed her darling goodbye
with "A wistiul sigh.
More than one pair of eyes turned to gaze admir-
ing'y after the slim, giflish figure, but Ionic Law
Turning hurriediy OF Broadway and crossing
Canal street she paused at length before a large
brick structure winch bore above the broad en-
ROCHESTER, 4 LELAND,
NOTTINGHAM LACE MILLS.
''This Is the place, 4" murmured Ionic, her heart
in a nutter as she assembled the steps, nervously,
tast nee 1sa in ~ B sas Sas1 place ssp when nH i se M' them 1ne shs mas hss
fallen III and that l."
The sentence was never finished. All in an in
slant Ionic was conscious OF a swht, dizzy sensa-
~ hope you are not hurt, - sad a deep. musical
voice. "Those ice-covered steps are treacherous.
l am SO fortunate IN 10 have saved you from an
ugly fall"
and. Raising her bewlldered eyes, saw q tall, fair
haired gentleman standing before her. He and a
gentleman friend mad but o moment since aliRhted
~ sincerely trust you are not hurt, " he re-
peated, looking earnestly At the lovely young face
she murmured sne was ''not hurt, only stunned. u
" ion can 20 Int the ofice through The private
; door , 1, you ms IKE Sc,ua THESE s'sn s,eps are such a sheet Of
He drew a card from his card-case, and handing
Tito her, Ionic read the NAME ARTHUR ROCKIES
''Are you, sir, one Of the owners Of the milf u
asked Ionic, with timid eagerness.
/" am the son Of the senior member OF the firm, "
Then her ewes involuntarily travelled toward his
companions; and SHE saw a dark, handsome face
that usually won women's hearts at the first
glance, O pair OF dark, laughing eyes that met her
own, and seemed to hold her spell-bound by their
Poor. beautiful loniel She might have led a
happy enough life II her path had not been crossed
by this handsome young man.
Altnough Arthur Rochester had made himself
known TO her, he did mol Offer TO introduce his
companion, Ionic noticed, but hurried him quickly
away.
lion into the lovely girlish face; for Frank Lyons
had promised himself that he should see THIS pretty
JounR girl a. ain, at whatever cost.
As the gentleman turned away, Ionic hurried on
to the once. Upon making known her errand, she
was sent 10 the foreman, who had charge of those
affairs.
A few minutes later, pale as death, she emerged
upon the street.
"Father, Z" she cried. below her breath, raising
her eyes TO the st~orni-swept sky, "can you UNDER
stand your poor lonie's terrible woef An me All
me how can l return TO Barbara, lying sick unto
death this butter cold winter day, and tell her they
refused to take me In her place? on what shall !
do? on, Heaven help me Where shall / turn? ]
shall not go back to Barbara until have found
1t SO happened that for some little time after
Arthur Rochester had entered The mill In company
with his friend, 1t did not occur to him az TO the
lovely young girls object In coming there on that
bitter cold morning.
"n must be she Is ID search OF work. he argued
with himself, gazing ,houghtfully into the IRE.
away, " he unused, ''for he was speaking only yes
terday Of the adyisability OF discharRing some OF
the hands, for WORK Is slack now. must intercede
Hurrying TO the office, Arthur Rochester called
for the foreman, and found his surmise had been
Saii9 he sG fGsSG. the ,S S Sis dsa sSne sa IN scare. .ss S Of T Sss,
alreauy sent away
A strange regret that he could scarcely have